[CatDuet]

I'm trying to figure out how to begin taking lessons from my teacher by Zoom during the COVID19 restrictions. I'm trying first to record a session across my own home onto another computer to see how it comes out. I really can't see how he'll be able to tell much about my playing. The volume seems to fluctuate when I didn't actually change it--apparently done by the Zoom program? And the articulations cannot be heard all that well. High notes don't register well, and low notes are fine though. If I back up and play farther from the mic, it sounds like an orchestral player, very clarinet-like.

Any tips for how to better arrange things?

Another point...I cannot seem to get it to "hear" both the jazz accompaniment I'm playing along with and my live improv. Makes me think we won't get to work on improv at all...


I'm using a focusrite USB box with a couple mics plugged in: Rode NT2a and Shure SM58. I've tried different volume levels and distances. Funny thing is, I get great results in my DAW Pro Tools. I just can't find a way to make it happen over the airwaves.

I hope you're all staying healthy and safe. Blessings!

 

[lesacks]

Guess work - does zoom have an option to switch off automatic gain control?

Like

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115003279466-Preserve-Original-Sound?mobile_site=true

 

[Dave Pollack]

I use Zoom for all of the online lessons I teach, and it’s about managing expectations.

For backing tracks, the best method for live stuff is playing them through speakers and playing along, letting the mic pick up both. I don’t think you can have the track go direct (but maybe you can run the track to a bus in youe DAW then out to Zoom...if so I’ve never done that).

I have the students (and myself) turn to the side and not point directly at the mic, because it overloads the auto compressor/auto gain.

There’s no crystal clear solution right now, but I’m sure there will be a better one coming soon - lots of people are finding out how limiting the current tech is, and see the potential for online lessons/rehearsals going forward!

 

[CatDuet]

These are great! Thank you!

 

[CatDuet]

Guess work - does zoom have an option to switch off automatic gain control?

Like

https://support.zoom.us/hc/en-us/articles/115003279466-Preserve-Original-Sound?mobile_site=true

This helped a lot. Thanks!

 

[CatDuet]

I use Zoom for all of the online lessons I teach, and it's about managing expectations.

For backing tracks, the best method for live stuff is playing them through speakers and playing along, letting the mic pick up both. I don't think you can have the track go direct (but maybe you can run the track to a bus in youe DAW then out to Zoom...if so I've never done that).

I have the students (and myself) turn to the side and not point directly at the mic, because it overloads the auto compressor/auto gain.

There's no crystal clear solution right now, but I'm sure there will be a better one coming soon - lots of people are finding out how limiting the current tech is, and see the potential for online lessons/rehearsals going forward!

Thanks for these ideas! It turned out that I actually needed to move my speaker around the partition that divides my studio from the computer and use my cell phone to operate the backing track to get it to fly. Pointing the sax to the side helps too. I messed around with it all day, but finally got good results. I think it will be worthwhile taking lessons online now.

 

[CatDuet]

Thanks for these ideas! It turned out that I actually needed to move my speaker around the partition that divides my studio from the computer and use my cell phone to operate the backing track to get it to fly. Pointing the sax to the side helps too. I messed around with it all day, but finally got good results. I think it will be worthwhile taking lessons online now.

I should mention I used two separate mics. One to pick up the backing track from the speaker (large Truth speaker) and one for the sax.

 

[anitje]

I have had a little experience with this.

Two or more people playing together will be frustrating no matter what, due to the immutable laws of physics (lag times, aka latency, aka the amount of time it takes for signal to travel from one computer to another and back). So forget about ensemble playing on Zoom or any other platform.

What works best is if one person in the Zoom group plays at a time and the others are all muted.

Also, as somebody said above, while you can play your instrument through your computer speaker (or a USB speaker), any backing track that you are playing with should be played through an EXTERNAL speaker (eg iRealb from your phone to an external speaker), preferably hard-wired (like with RCA jacks for example).

And everybody should use earbuds or earphones. Bluetooth is fine.

 

[hakukani]

I have had a little experience with this.

Two or more people playing together will be frustrating no matter what, due to the immutable laws of physics (lag times, aka latency, aka the amount of time it takes for signal to travel from one computer to another and back). So forget about ensemble playing on Zoom or any other platform.

What works best is if one person in the Zoom group plays at a time and the others are all muted.

Also, as somebody said above, while you can play your instrument through your computer speaker (or a USB speaker), any backing track that you are playing with should be played through an EXTERNAL speaker (eg iRealb from your phone to an external speaker), preferably hard-wired (like with RCA jacks for example).

And everybody should use earbuds or earphones. Bluetooth is fine.

Pesky speed of light limitation! We need tachyon beams!

 

[clarnut]

A couple recent articles that may help

https://thewirecutter.com/blog/use-zoom-like-a-pro/

https://medium.com/@stevetres/how-to-move-your-private-music-studio-online-4b1bab4c38b5

 

[lesacks]

Pesky speed of light limitation! We need tachyon beams!

It's not really the speed of light that's the problem, but packet (switching). Sampling enough signal to generate a decent packet of data necessary implies latency, give or take compression and encoding. Normal Bluetooth between phone and headset has a really bad latency over a meter (100s ms)... And then there's buffering on the internet... That's why folks recommend analogue wireless headphones (< 10 ms). Better packet building can bring that down to around 30ms.... Around the echo time of a medium sized sports hall. That is promised for 6G.... and, Indeed, was possible for one of the internets predecessor technologies